How Nature took centre stage at Ragas by the River festival held amidst the wilderness of Jim Corbett National Park
The Hindu
Songs by the brook
Hindustani vocalist Kaushiki Chakraborty was thrilled about sighting tigers, while singer Hariharan was delighted at spotting elephants in the wild. Flautist Rakesh Chaurasia left the venue in a hurry after his morning concert to go on a safari. “I wanted to perform before I went into the forest. What if a tiger hunts me down?” he laughed, before playing a soulful raag Pahadi.
In a bid to provide a unique musical experience, curators of cultural festivals are constantly on the lookout for locations that will spark wanderlust in people. Palaces, forts and lush landscapes are being turned into performance arenas, allowing the audience to discover the free-spiritedness of our arts. The unconventional settings also motivate artistes to push the boundaries of their creativity.
‘Ragas by the River’, which was held recently in Uttarakhand, celebrated the age-old connection between music and Nature. We have heard how Tansen could set off a blaze by singing raag Deepak and could bring rain with his rendition of Miyan ki Malhar, still a popular monsoon raag.
The venue of the festival was on the banks of river Kosi and the fringes of the Jim Corbett National Park. Established in 1936, Corbett is the country’s first national park and is known for its flora and fauna.
Sitting under a clear sky on chilly evenings, surrounded by tall trees, rocky hills and a river, raags Yaman, Gurjari Todi, Jhinjoti and Shudh Kalyan seemed to gain a distinct emotional resonance.
Kaushiki, who went on the safari twice with her son and husband, felt it was amazing to see curators design cultural events for a larger purpose. “I am an outdoorsy person and love going on adventure holidays. This festival has been the best working holiday I have had in recent times. I felt a surge of energy when I sang after experiencing the wilderness,” she said. “The informal ambience allows for a closer interaction with the audience too.
“But the biggest highlight was being able to sit back and enjoy the performances of other artistes. Imagine having Ustad Amjad Ali Khan in the audience at my concert,” she added.
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